Boston Bruins 24-25 Roster/Cap thread XIII

[smithformeragent]

You don’t need a rebuild when you have a Pasternak McAvoy and a Swayman to build around. Changes need to be made but nearly every team in the league can say the same,it’s that close.Number one target imo needs to be a true number one Center.

Everyone is on the table, depending the return but you don’t deal the aforementioned unless someone over pays or McAvoy can land that top Center.

Iohrei and Poitras I don’t want to see moved, two young kids with great offensive upside. I would dangle anyone else picks prospects in an attempt to land that center, probably not attainable without including one of them but it would be worth the price imo.

After these next 9 games if the Bruins are on the outside looking in,I start with Marchand move him to the highest bidder and keep your phone lines open for business.

Perhaps.

So long as they’re the right guys to have locked up and to build around.

 

[PlayMakers]

For me that makes maybe missing the playoffs for a couple of years — and that any trades you make are designed to maximize good picks, prospects, and centers.

I don’t need, or want, the Bruins to crap out. But I’ll still support them if they do.

However I do need, and want, the Bruins to now look toward the near future as opposed to the immediate future - i.e. couple of playoff games.

We went for it hard the last few years and good for us. Few disagreed and results weren’t what we hoped, but it was fun.

I don’t doubt the effort, passion, or want of everyone involved. But our prospect pool is begging begging begging for some help. It has to happen sometime.

See to me, that is a very risky plan. In 2 years Pasta is on the wrong side of 30. Hampus Lindholm is 33, even Mac and Sway are 28 and exiting their prime. Ok, we restocked the cupboard with a handful of good prospects, but did we add 4 or 5 new superstars to replace our core with those picks?

I just don't think teams with cornerstones like the Bruins have, at the age they're at, should be intentionally taking years off from competing.

 

[Dr Hook]

Good question!

A lot of talk in the local media that they should do a re-tool.

What does a re-tool look like to you?

Good question. I am not interested in a full rebuild, so that definition, if it is being implied here by anyone, should be off the table. The Sabres are still 'rebuilding' going on how long now? Look at the Sharks. I'd prefer we not do that, and I don't think it is necessary.

Re-tool may come with a management change and definitely a clean-out of most of the coaching staff. I'd look at a re-tool as something that says 'we are going to eat it for a couple of years a la Washington' and not let's retool on the fly and try to maintain a shot at the playoffs every season. That's the mediocrity mire. To do that, you move some roster guys and bring in some others. The priority has to be a #1 center of some type, OR a top caliber play driving wing (like a Panarin type). To do that, some roster players will need to go. At the same time, preserving as much of the future as possible. Maybe that is too big an ask, but I'd hate to see an already spare prospect cupboard get even more depleted, and same with draft picks- too many have been give away without getting the return.

TLDR: retool by cleaning out the coaching (save Essensa), new Pres and GM, and going after the top 6 player they need while keeping prospects and picks to the greatest extent possible.

 

[PlayMakers]

it's time for a cupboard cleaning they don't have the pro scouting or picks to trade for A Chychrun or Mangiapane type that the caps did. They need to clear players with cap......Coyle and Carlo all things considered.

Chychrun was traded for Nick Jensen and a 3rd round pick.
Mangiapane was traded for a 2nd round pick.

The Bruins certainly have the assets to pull off those kinds of deals.

 

[Aussie Bruin]

A rebuild - if you’re looking at how that word is used by like a Friedman or a Pagnotta or similar - involves selling off productive core pieces for futures and resetting the window. With what the Bruins have in house, that would mean two of Pasta/McAvoy/Swayman minimum. Sell expiring contracts off for picks. Get really shitty. Hope you’re the one in 10 chance that can turn it around in less than 5 or 6 years.

Retool is keep the core and other key pieces - resigning them if needed - but holding on to prospects and draft picks. A faster retool is trading those pieces for NHL players or NHL ready prospects. You’re not losing on purpose, but you’re not investing in the team for this year.

To me, those who push for a rebuild don’t usually consider the consequences or the risk involved. They just want carnage.

The local major league team I've supported essentially from the cradle (thanks dad) has gone through multiple full rebuilds in my lifetime. Only one of them has in any sense worked in that they built a very competitive team but even then while they made it to the grand final twice they lost narrowly both times before sliding back into mediocrity. So I'm very familiar with the sheer amount of hard work, time and frustration that go into rebuilds and the reality that most of them will fail.

But despite that I'm not against them. Much as they can suck and lead to a lot of boring, uncompetitive games/seasons, there can be a lot of excitement too, and a lot of upside if - big IF - things go well. Reality is too that for all the failures, the vast majority of cups in proper cap and draft leagues are won by teams that have rebuilt or at least heavily retooled in the recent past. That's the risk/reward that goes with them.

What the Bruins have tried to do is a staged retool whilst continuing to contend every year. Have completely changed their core and most of what goes around it, piece by piece, season after season, all while trying to nab another Cup and keep the team at the pointy end into the future. Tough ask, done fairly well, it must be said. But now some serious cracks are appearing and the question becomes can the current policy continue?

Every year at the deadline they've tried to make the team better for an immediate playoff run, or at least not made it worse. But is this now the time to dig in a little harder on the retooling side, essentially give up on this season, and make some moves that will hopefully benefit the team more in 6-12 months rather than 3? And then reinforce that plan further in the offseason, including a new and better coach. Under this direction you keep the inner core intact and back in your good kids, but guys on the fringe of it like Carlo and Coyle become tradeable and you do some more thorough house-cleaning at the lower levels.

That's the option I favor. I think it suits where the Bruins are at, it suits the mindset of the franchise, and probably much of the fanbase, and it has reasonable prospects of success for a good turnaround next season. Might fail, but probably have to try. Would much prefer that than any short-term moves made during this current trade period to try and bolster a lost cause. That would be foolish, IMO. At the other end of the spectrum is that full rebuild but I think it's too soon for that option. There's enough there, and enough invested already, to warrant trying for a quick bounce back first. But if it does eventually come to it, rebuilds don't scare me and I'm realistic about them. Been there plenty of times before. If Boston has to follow that path, I'm there for the ride.

 

[Hookslide]

Chychrun was traded for Nick Jensen and a 3rd round pick.
Mangiapane was traded for a 2nd round pick.

The Bruins certainly have the assets to pull off those kinds of deals.

What are the chances of the Bruins, and the Avalanche getting together, and I am talking Rantanen.

 

[quietbruinfan]

Chychrun was traded for Nick Jensen and a 3rd round pick.
Mangiapane was traded for a 2nd round pick.

The Bruins certainly have the assets to pull off those kinds of deals.

I am aware what they were traded for-especially Mang, but we don't have a second rounder this year.......Never mind cap space.

 

[PlayMakers]

What are the chances of the Bruins, and the Avalanche getting together, and I am talking Rantanen.

I'd love it, but I'd put the chances at .0001%. The Bruins don't seem to have enough to trade for Petterson, they may not be willing to part with their 1st for Miller, so how the heck do they acquire Rantanen?

Plus, even if they can't sign him, I'd be shocked if the Ava didn't keep Rantanen for a playoff run.

 

[TCB]

I am aware what they were traded for-especially Mang, but we don't have a second rounder this year.......Never mind cap space.

Maybe the asset were missing is in the GM position

 

[quietbruinfan]

Maybe the asset were missing is in the GM position

As an assistant conductor on the fire Neely and Sweeney train, I think you are right. lol.

 

[TCB]

What are the chances of the Bruins, and the Avalanche getting together, and I am talking Rantanen.

None

 

[Hookslide]

I'd love it, but I'd put the chances at .0001%. The Bruins don't seem to have enough to trade for Petterson, they may not be willing to part with their 1st for Miller, so how the heck do they acquire Rantanen?

Plus, even if they can't sign him, I'd be shocked if the Ava didn't keep Rantanen for a playoff run.

And the lose him to FA. They are 22nd in goals against.

 

[Absurdity]

FWIW, Bruins are not mentioned

 

[TCB]

Perhaps.

So long as they’re the right guys to have locked up and to build around.

I believe they are, but is it the right guy calling the shots, who’ll be doing the build around

FWIW, Bruins are not mentioned

Wow if the Cane ever added a Miller, I wouldn’t see anyone touching them.

 

[Gordoff]

I think you need to be careful about how invested you get in re-filling the cupboards though. I do understand the need to replenish the pipeline, but at the same time, this core really only has 2-4 years left where they are going to be the 'drivers' behind a Cup win, so in 3 years I don't want to be looking at a team that has added a handful of good, Lysell-level prospects but a core that's now too old to compete.

Right, but that's where they have to be cognizant of the
free agents that they invest in.
Going back to when he became GM, his FA "adds" have been quite questionable IMO.

 

[wintersej]

It’s like when they traded away
Lucic and Hamilton to stock pile draft picks. Was it 2015? I think it was. That was a retool. Not a full tank. Tanking is stupid. I would not want to watch this team lose for 15 years.


Dubois is playing well.

Ok now list out the players they got from trading Hamilton and Lucic.

 

[Trizz617]

So, add the RIGHT free agents. Sweeneys made a bunch of FA signings over the years but IMO with a "go for it" mindset. 2022-23 TDL was a huge "go for it" period that in the end we ended up with nothing. No Cup and an almost empty cupboard.
Of course I guess it was worth going for it but the gamble ended with empty pockets.
Free agent signings need to be for players with more upside (Geekie comes to mind). Less of a splash, more of a wave.
If they use any more draft picks, especially the 2025 first rounder, it'd better be for real talent now (preferably an under 26 year old Center). Miller temporarily will appease the masses but when the new player shine wears off, you've got several years of payments to make.
I didn't like Cam saying that they're "going in 2 directions."
It's time to refill the cupboards, clear space, and accumulate young talent.

Agreed. One foot in, one foot out will have this team swimming to nowhere. Pick a direction & somehow find the right mix.

 

[The Hockey Tonk Man]

A lot of talk in the local media that they should do a re-tool.

What does a re-tool look like to you?

To me looks like they should call up Merk & Lysell. See how they do when given an actual opportunity

No point retooling when you don’t even give chances to your best prospects

 

[LouJersey]

A lot of talk in the local media that they should do a re-tool.

What does a re-tool look like to you?

A retool to go from mediocre to more mediocre? This team is stuck in Penguins land right now

 

[Dr Hook]

A retool to go from mediocre to more mediocre? This team is stuck in Penguins land right now

Partly why I want to see a management change. A good retool at this point to me looks like getting the right players in and moving the right ones out. Sweeneely have not done too great on that front over the past decade. A few hits, a lot more misses and bad contracts.

 

[TCB]

Ok now list out the players they got from trading Hamilton and Lucic.

The plan was good, execution not so good. Great idea,but carrying out the plan had significant flaws and did not live up to expectations

 

[BruinsJoe]

F@#% the retool go hard for the cup as the plan is since start of the season...

Trade
Coyle + Freddy + Lysell + 2025 first
Vs
Miller + Desharnais (50% retain)

Marchy Miller Pasta
Zacha Lindholm Geekie
Merkulov Poitras Brazzeau
Beecher Kastelic Koepke
Jones
Lindholm McAvoy
Zadorov Carlo
Desharnais Peeke
Lohrei

Sway
Korpi

....ok f@#$ go for the retool!

 

[smithformeragent]

Which players could the Bruins trade as part of a mid-season retool?

If the Bruins do opt for a mid-season retool this year, Boston could have several appealing trade chip in place.

www.boston.com

With the Bruins anchored by a foundation featuring a 60-goal scorer in David Pastrnak, a No. 1 goalie in Jeremy Swayman, and a top-pairing defenseman in Charlie McAvoy, a full-blown teardown likely isn’t realistic — nor will Boston likely look at moving that trio.

Other players like Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov — fresh off of signing hefty contracts last summer — likely won’t be targeted by other teams, unless Boston eats a hefty portion of their contracts.

But if the Bruins embrace a similar strategy as the Capitals in recent years and augment their roster around a few key fixtures, the team could get a jump start on what could be an eventful summer.

 

[PlayMakers]

But is this now the time to dig in a little harder on the retooling side, essentially give up on this season, and make some moves that will hopefully benefit the team more in 6-12 months rather than 3? And then reinforce that plan further in the offseason, including a new and better coach. Under this direction you keep the inner core intact and back in your good kids, but guys on the fringe of it like Carlo and Coyle become tradeable and you do some more thorough house-cleaning at the lower levels.

I think that's well said.

I hate the idea of giving up on this season though. Lots of teams struggle, even Cup caliber teams. Florida barely made it in, in 2024. I still think that the right move or two could put this team back on track... but maybe that's too tall an order.

 

[TCB]

Which players could the Bruins trade as part of a mid-season retool?

If the Bruins do opt for a mid-season retool this year, Boston could have several appealing trade chip in place.

www.boston.com

With the Bruins anchored by a foundation featuring a 60-goal scorer in David Pastrnak, a No. 1 goalie in Jeremy Swayman, and a top-pairing defenseman in Charlie McAvoy, a full-blown teardown likely isn’t realistic — nor will Boston likely look at moving that trio.

Other players like Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov — fresh off of signing hefty contracts last summer — likely won’t be targeted by other teams, unless Boston eats a hefty portion of their contracts.

But if the Bruins embrace a similar strategy as the Capitals in recent years and augment their roster around a few key fixtures, the team could get a jump start on what could be an eventful summer.

Seems bang on